Alexander douglas



i UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

ALEXANDER DOUGLAS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 17,082, dated April 21, 1857.

To all whom 'Lt may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER DOUGLAS, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Bustle; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l is a plan and Fig. 2 a perspective view of my improved bustle as fitted to the person, Fig. 3 shows, the same when not 1n use.

My invention consists of `one or more strips of whalebone or other elastic material and one or more strips of cloth, corset lacing, or other ieXible material, attached as represented, the latter being shorter than the whalebone. Vhen in use the flexible part adapts itselfto the form of the wearer and the elastic strips stand out therefrom as represented in Figs. l and 2. My invention also includes the means represented of making the magnitude of the bustle adjustable at pleasure by sim-ply shortening or lengthening the flexible parts.

T o enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to descrlibe its construction and use more in detai The same letters refer to like parts in all the drawings.

A, A, A, `are strips of whalebone suitably` attached to a cloth B which latter serves to steady, and hold them in their proper horizontal or nearly horizontal planes.

C C are strips of cloth, cord, or the like, which connect to A, A, at or near each eX- tremity, and being somewhat shorter than A, A, compel the latter to stand in more curved form.

D, D, are strings, portions of cloth, or the like, by which the whole is bound upon the person. A, A, A, being elastic tend to assume a straight form; C, C, being flexible allow this to a considerable degree when the bustle is not in use but when placed upon the form the parts C C are bent to adapt themselves to the form and thus by diminishing the distance between their extremities compel a still more curved form in the longer parts A, A. Thus there :always remains an empty space E between C and A and by this construction the dress is sustained in a fashionable position without adding materially to the weight or warmth of the clothing, a matter of considerable importance in warm weather.

I prefer to make this bustle a part ofthe skirt by using the upper portions of the latter to serve the purposes of B and D in the drawings, or in other words by sewing the parts,vA, A, fast to the skirt in their proper positions, but I would not confine myself to such a use of the parts.

It may be desirable for obvious reasons sometimes to increase or diminish the size and effect of the bustle. I do this by providing eyelets or any of the ordinary means of forming what may serve as pulleys at or near each extremity of the strips A A and receiving through these the parts lC C in the same manner as corset lacings are usually arranged in a corset. By drawing up or letting out the lacing when thus arranged the wearer can adjust the size of the bustle at pleasure. When the bustle is connected to, and forms a part of, the skirt the only effect produced on the front parts D D by tightening the lacing C is to somewhat extend the gathers on that part, but if the bustle is made independent the parts D D must of course either be made elastic or their lengths must be made adjustable by some of the ordinary means of taking in and letting out clothing, so that as the corset lacings C C are shortened D D may be lengthened and vice versa.

lNhat claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The combination of the elastic strips A,

the steadying cloth B (or-its equivalent) provided with strips or fastenings D andf the adjusting cord C substantially as de,

scribed and the purpose specified..

ALEXANDER DOUGLAS.

I/Vitnesses:

THOMAS D. STETSON, GEO. F. HYATT. 

